Railway-frog.



PATENTED JULY 17, 19 06. I. K. DIXON. RAILWAYY FROG.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

I. K. DIXON. RAILWAY FROG. APPLIGATIONFILED JULY 26. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 mmvroe I 27/1 6774 8 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL K. DIXON, OF J OHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-FROG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1'7, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL K. DIXON, of Johnstown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to railway-frogs, and is designed to provide a spring-frog which can be used in paved streets with the advantages possessed by spring-frogs as used heretofore in steam-track construction, together with other advantages which will hereinafter appear.

With this object in view my invention consists in a suitable body structure carrying rail members or arms for connection to the abutting track-rails and having a chambered box-like central portion which carries the point of the frog and in which are arranged movable spring-actuated frog members, which are normally held by their springs against the frog-point to close the gap at the flangeway intersection, but which are ,moved by the pressure of the wheels at the proper times to permit the flanges to pass.

My invention also consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and pointed out in .the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a frog embodying my invention; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, transverse sections taken on the lines 2 2, 3 3, and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 4; Fig. 5, a transverse vertical section taken through the frog-point and showing a modified construction; Fig. 6, Sheet II, a plan view showing another modification; Figs. 7, 8, and 9, sections taken on the lines 7 7, 8 8, and 9 9, respectively, of Fig. 6; and Fig. 10, a detail sectional view showing how the movable frog members of Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are pivoted.

Referring first to the construction shown on Sheet I, the letters A A A A designate the rail members or arms of the structure, which diverge from a central portion B. These members may be cast integral with said portion B, or they maybe secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Fig. 10 shows shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, or which may be formed on a separate piece or plate D, seated in the portion B, as shown in Fig. 5, in which case said point may be made of more durable material. At each side of the point is formed a floor portion F, upon which the movable frog members G and H are seated. Each of the frog members has at one end portion a pivot g, provided with a bearing h in the portion B, (shown in Fig. 4,) and is arranged to move upon the floor F toward and away from the point C underneath a cover ortion I. The cover portions I are formed with the depending flanges I, which fit the side walls of the portion B, to which they are removably secured to provide for removal of the members G and H and also for cleaning the structure when necessary. The free end portions of the members G and H are connected by the spring-rods J and spring J, the action of the latter being to normally hold said members against the point, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and to return them to such positions after they have been moved by a passing wheel in the malmer indicated in Fig. 3. Each of said members has a raised portion 7t, which forms a continuation of the head of the adj acent rail member, which it meets at the point a: and which is beveled at k to lie against the side of the point 0. Each member has the beveled wheel-flangeengaging portion h, which normally lies in the flangeway.

The operation will be readily understood. A wheel entering the frog at thepoint end on either track its flange engages the portion h of the adjacent movable member and moves it aside, as shown in Fig. 4. A wheel entering the frog at the heel end operates in the same manner by its flange-pressure against the gage side of the portion h The modification illustrated on Sheet II differs from the construction above described in that the movable members O and P instead of having vertical pivots are arranged to rock on horizontal pivots 0, which engage depending lugs p of the said members. The centers of these pivots are so located with respect to the flange-contacting portions 1" 1" (corresponding to the portions h h of the construction first described) that the pressure of the flanges rocks the members away from the point to pass the wheel. The members are held in and returned to their normal positions by the spring S. The remaining portions of the structure are similar to the corresponding portions of that shown on Sheet I and are designated by the same reference characters.

The constructions described not only avoid the jump at the flangeway intersections, but they also provide a frog which is particularly adapted for use at trac locations over which pass wheels having different treads. As heretofore constructed, where the necessary provisions are made for wide treads, so large a gap is left at the intersections that the nar-' row tread-wheels sometimes drop in. This is prevented by the constructions described.

The movable members may be made of some extremely durable material, such as manganese steel, and they can be readily removed and replaced if worn or broken. The structures can be drained, if desired, by connection to a sewer. The manner, however, in which the movable members are arranged and the provision of the cover portions prevent very largely the entrance to and accumulation within the structure of dirt or other obstructions.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a spring-frog of the character described, the combination with a body structure having a chambered center portion provided with a frog-point, of movable springpressed frog members seated in said central portion.

2. In a spring-frog of the character described, the combination with a body portion havin diverging rail members and a box-like centra portion carrying a point, of pivoted spring-pressedfrog members seated in said center portion.

3. In a spring-frog of the character described, the body structure having the frogpoint, the pivoted spring-pressed members, and the removable cover portions.

4. In a spring-frog of the character described, the body structure having the removable frog-point, and movable springpressed members normally lying against said point. 1

5. In a spring-frog of the character described, a body structure provided with means for rail connections, and having side portions, floor portions, and a point portion, in combination with pivoted spring-pressed frog members seated at opposite sides of the point on said floor portions substantially as escribed.

6. In a spring-frog of the character described, the combination with a body structure, having floor portions and removable cover portions overhanging the floor portions, of pivoted frog members seated on said floor portions at each side of the point, each of said members having two portions adapted for actuating engagement with a wheel-flange, and a spring connected to said members.

7. In a spring-frog of the character described, the combination with a body structure having rail-seating pockets, a frog-point, and chambers at each side of the said point, of the pivoted spring members seated in said chambers and having each a track-forming portion and also Wheel-flange-engaging portions.

8. In a spring-frog of the character de scribed, a movable spring member arranged to lie against the frog-point and having a wheel-flange-engaging portion at each end, and also a track-forming portion normally closing one of the flangeways at their inter-- section.

9. In a spring-frog of the character described, the combination with the body structure having the point, and rail members abutting the heel end of said point, of the movable spring members arranged to lie against the said point and having a wheelflange-engaging portion at each end, and also a track-forming portion, and fixed rail members abutting the said track-forming portions.

10. A spring-frog having a fixed point, a pivoted spring member at one side of said point, and arranged to be moved away from the same by a passing car-wheel, and a casing or closure in which said member is supported and pivoted, said casinghaving a surface portion which overhangs the movable member; substantially as described.

11. A spring-frog having a laterally rocking or tilting spring-pressed movable member at each side of its point.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISRAEL K. DIXON.

Witnesses:

LORETTO- OACONNELL, H. W. SMITH. 

